Improvement in steam-gauges



f H. MATTHES.

Steam 8 A Patented July 7, 1368';

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HENRY MATTHES, 0 CAMBRIDGEPORT, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 79,669, dated July 7,, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-GAUGES.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERNS Be it known that I, HENRY MATTIIES, of' Cambridgeport, in the county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Gauges; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being bad to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- 7 Figure '1 shows the usual steam-gauge with my improvements attached, the portion containing said improvements being shownin elevation and section. i l

Figure 2 represents the conical wire-spring.

Figure 3 represents the corrugated metallic disk. The improvements which I have made in steam-gauges do not change the common form and arrangement of such articles, and can be readily applied to many of them, with slight alterations and expense. The most approved mode of constructing them at the present time is to allow the steam to press upon a circular disk of rubber, firmly secured and packed atits edges, by screwing the parts of the box containing it together. The rubber is then brought in direct contact with the edges of a conical riband-spring, to the centre of which is attached a rod which operates-the indicating-mechanism.

as described.

My invention consists, first, in substituting for the rubber a disk of flexible metal; second, in substituting for the riband-spring a conical spring made of wire, which tapers from one end to the other.

In the gauge shown in the drawings, A represents the metal disk; B, that portion of the coupling through which the steam passes; a, awasher, which is pressed, when the portions B and O of the coupling'are screwed together, against the part 0 and the disk A, the said washer and the screw being thoroughly packed with red lead or other suitable material. The centre of the disk A presses against a rod, (1, which operates the indicatingmechanism, andto which is attached the conical tapered. wire spring S. The operation will be plain to al skilled in the art;

The flexible disk is made of five parts of eighteen-carat gold, fourparts of silver, and one part of copper, and this is the best alloy known to me. The disk should be corrugated or dished, to allow the necessary motion of its centre, and it is preferable to make it thicker at the part which bears against the spring. I

The spring is made of round wire, instead ffiat metal, to obviate the objection to which the riband-spring is liable, of cuttingthe disk which is pressed against'it by the steam, and the wire is tapered, to make its action more regular and uniform. The taper should be wrought to make the end of the wire where it is attached to the rod d about one-half the dian eter of the other end.

I do not claim the use of flexible corrugated metal generally, to transmit the pressure of the steam to the indicating-mechanism; but having, thus described my invention,

What-I claim as new, andjdesire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I 1. The arrangement of the cap l3, the disk A, and washer a, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

A flexible disk for steam-gauges, when constructed oi the materials and in the proportions substantially HENRY MATTHES. W'itncsscs:

J. E. MAYNADIER, OiIAs. F. SLnurun. 

